Chapter Four: Duskfeather's Mate

A/N: Since this is a really short chapter, I will probably upload another one today. More plotness! :0

Starpaw and Owlclaw fished the rest of the day. Starpaw said that she didn't want to talk about what she had just heard, so Owlclaw took her to a small, quiet fishing spot. He explained that fish could see cats' shadows in the water. He showed her how to angle her shadow away from the fish and use her lightning-quick reflexes to catch them. There were many fat fish in the river since it was greenleaf. Starpaw was a determined hunter and had soon caught a large pile of delicious fish. She would eat not one until everyone in the Clan had their fill. She had decided to tell no one but Moonpaw that she was half-clan, and simply be the best RiverClan warrior she could be.

"I suppose I don't need to tell you to keep an eye out for Duskfeather. He's been acting a bit odd lately," said Owlclaw jokingly.

Silence.

"Seriously though, it's probably best to avoid him until he's out of this strange phase. It'll probably pass though, when his grief is dulled. His mate was killed in the latest battle over Sunningrocks," Owlclaw reminded her, his face grave.

Starpaw remembered Silverblossom, who used to visit the nursery sometimes. The way her pelt was ragged and torn, how her limbs dragged along the ground, lifeless. She was there when Fernflower, Silverblossom's sister, wailed at the sight of her dead sister. She watched when a cat (Duskfeather) was forcibly dragged away from her body, clawing and spitting. The splash as they sunk Silverblossom's body into the river, to be at peace in the water.

Starpaw had seen death that day.

"I remember," she whispered.

"Just stay out of his way, okay?"

Starpaw's anger returned. "Fine," she spat. "But I'm not doing it for you, or Stormwave, or Maplefeather. I'm doing it for Moonpaw and RiverClan."

Owlclaw flinched. "Sorry," he muttered.

Every day, Duskfeather remembered Silverblossom, his beautiful mate, his one true love. He had kept her nest as clean and new-looking as the day she had died. Why did those clueless, idiotic ThunderClan cats have to take that radiant and loving soul away from him?

Thinking about that day made his claws unsheathe. He remembered Softfur looking up, eyes wide, claws stained with blood. "A mistake," they all claimed. Apologies wouldn't bring back the dead.

Then they let that scrawny, pitiful excuse for a she-cat and her whining, lazy brother Pinetail join RiverClan! As if they hadn't enough mouths to feed!

That diseased mouse he'd found had done its work. Softfur, that idiot, had accepted it as a "present" and forgotten that RiverClan cats didn't hunt mice! The sickness ate at her and the greencough followed.. The only reminder was her weak, disloyal mate and mewling kits. They would be soon taken care of. Duskfeather would do anything to get back at all of the cats of RiverClan and ThunderClan.

Anything.

A/N: Also, I'll be adding descriptions of some of the RiverClan cats for reference!